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Oil seeps are natural

Tim Bennett (“Remnants of offshore oil disaster,” Feb. 16) makes a mistake blaming oil on his feet in Santa Barbara as some remnant of an oil spill that happened more than 40 years ago.

Apparently, he does not know (or believe) there are natural seeps in this region which have been leaking oil for thousands of years. Native Americans used this tar to make bowls from abalone shells and to seal their canoes. Walk on the beach at Summerland and you can see oil oozing out of the bluffs above.

Estimates of oil spilled from off offshore oilrigs since 1969 is 842 barrels. The estimated amount of oil from natural seeps since 1969 is more than 1.8 million barrels. No comparison.

A study produced by UC Santa Barbara found existing drilling has reduced oil seepage and air emissions by 50 percent. These reductions in air emissions alone is equal to all the cars which drive through Santa Barbara on a daily basis. Someone “told” Mr. Bennett he was oiled by a spill 50 years ago. Someone told him wrong.